


Sokka's Boomerang

by Onmyliteraturebullshitagain



Series: And They Were Neighbors (oh my god they were neighbors) [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dogs, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Midwest Bi Disaster Zukka, Zukka in their mid-twenties, Zukka plus pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27711665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain/pseuds/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain
Summary: A pair of boys at the park with a dog. What could possibly go wrong?Midwest Bi Disaster Zukka. Just fluff and an excuse for the author to use her favorite Sokka quote even in a modern setting.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: And They Were Neighbors (oh my god they were neighbors) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968508
Comments: 82
Kudos: 461





	Sokka's Boomerang

"I was totally tricked into this," Zuko said coldly, bundled up in his jacket with a long red scarf around his neck and his hands cupped around both sides of his cardboard coffee cup.

"I _said,_ " Sokka argued while trying to keep his own coffee balanced in one hand with the frisbee tucked under his arm and the dog pulling on the other, "'Hey you wanna grab coffee and then take Boomerang to the park with me?' How's that deceptive?"

"You know for a _fact_ that my brain stopped listening after 'coffee'," Zuko argued.

"Ok, you not listening does _not_ mean I tricked you," Sokka said with a laugh. "Stop being a baby."

"I am _not_ being a baby," Zuko snapped, tucking his face further into his scarf. "It's fucking _freezing_ , and all the sane people are inside!"

"That's why it's a great frisbee day!" Sokka argued, gesturing out the park and the empty blue sky. "Less people and distractions when it's cold. And seriously, it's October and like forty-five degrees out. It's not _that_ cold."

"Ok, not everyone grew up in an igloo or a sod house or whatever like you did," Zuko grumbled, taking another drink of his coffee.

"So when you picture my childhood in Pirta," Sokka asked with a laugh, "are you imagining full Laura Ingles Wilder or more _Call of the Wild_?"

Zuko huffed again and didn't reply, opting instead for snuggling himself even deeper into his scarf and jacket collar. They trudged further through the empty expanse of grass off to the right of the river and the forest around its banks, the wind whipping through the trees starting to get more brilliantly colored as autumn wore on. It wasn't _technically_ legal to off-leash dogs here, but Sokka hadn't ever been challenged on it. Boomerang needed the space to run full bore without the risk of fences or other dogs or small children that might get bowled over in his wake. And it gave Sokka the space to really get the frisbee going, a skill he had a certain degree of pride in for some dumb reason.

"I miss the summer," Zuko without prompting beside him. "I miss my flip flops."

"I do not," Sokka said immediately.

"Why does anyone live in this state?" Zuko muttered, ignoring him. "Why did people ever settle here? What the hell were the pioneers thinking?"

"Ok, colonizer," Sokka said with another laugh, "if it's _that_ bad, me and my Inuit heritage will play with the dog and you can go wait in the car with the heater on."

"No, I'm already this far out," Zuko huffed, "I'm just employing my--what's your whole thing?--god-given right as a bisexual to be dramatic."

"Can't argue with that," Sokka said brightly. "Also, remember when you drunk broke into my apartment in the middle of the night and didn't recognize me and told me about your boyfriend?"

Zuko sighed. "Ok, you're really not even _trying_ anymore to find excuses to bring that up."

"Roasting you for this is my _other_ god-given right," Sokka pointed out.

"Also," Zuko corrected, ignoring him again, "I definitely didn't 'break in.' You _let_ me in."

Sokka smiled. "But the rest is all true?"

Zuko tucked himself further into his coat and mumbled, "The rest is true."

"How many EMT pun free-passes do I still have?" Sokka asked, grinning, and Zuko sighed.

"I should never have let you start that ‘how much can Sokka mock me for this’ negotiation when I was still horribly hung over," Zuko grunted. "You took total advantage."

"I did not!" Sokka protested, pulling on Boomerang's leash as he got distracted by a pile of leaves on the ground. "And an unlimited pass for mocking--"

"Which you are _absolutely_ over-using."

"--and ten free EMT jokes that Zuko can't be mad at me for?" Sokka said with another large smile. "Not that bad considering the insanity of the situation."

"Yeah, but I got _nothing_ out of that negotiation except a worse headache," Zuko grunted, "and throwing up repeatedly directly after."

Sokka nudged him. "Come on… you got my continued affection and the safety of my apartment when you were drunk off your ass. How's that not a win?"

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Because I'm amazing and you know it."

Zuko sighed, long and drawn out. "You've got two more EMT puns before I go back to openly hating them and also you."

"Ok good because I've got another one!" Sokka announced, ignoring the threat. "Really, I wanted to make a mean joke about EMTs but I didn't wanna get…" he raised an eyebrow in Zuko's direction, " _carried away_."

Zuko put his face in his hand but, as previously agreed upon, said nothing in response. Sokka, of course, just laughed and threw an arm around his waist and pulled him close.

"Ok, I'll leave you alone about it for a while," he said, squeezing his side. “You’ve been a lot more tolerant of this than I actually thought you’d be. I figured I'd get to about six puns before you'd start throwing punches.”

Zuko gave a low chuckle and leaned a little more into his side as they kept walking. “Yeah, well, you’re just lucky I like you so damn much, you jerk.”

“A jerk that has beautiful blue eyes and smells like Christmas,” Sokka reminded, and Zuko grunted and rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree.

They walked a little longer in silence, Boomerang tugging them along, until they reached an open area right in the middle of the park. Far enough from the parking lot and with nothing in the way besides the river off to the left.

“This is probably a good spot," Sokka announced. "As long as the wind doesn't toss the frisbee into the trees and the river, I guess."

After doing one last check for other people or dogs, Sokka unclipped Boomerang's leash and let him go. The dog, who already knew where they were and what they were doing, ran ahead and spun to face Sokka again, tail high and ears perked. Sokka wound up with the frisbee, taking a moment to dance back and forth and get Boomerang appropriately hyped before letting the toy sail out across the open expanse. And then Boomerang was gone, flying across the shorn grass and scatterings of leaves at warp speed.

"Well damn," Zuko said, "that's pretty impressive."

"Thank you," Sokka said, just a little smugly, "yeah I've always had a pretty good arm for--"

Zuko snorted. "I was talking about the dog," he said, motioning to where Boomerang had just overrun the landed frisbee, circled back to grab it, and come triumphantly jogging back over the grass.

"Right, of course," Sokka said quickly, laughing a little and rubbing the back of his head, "yeah, it's the herding dog in him--he's a mutt but still got the brain and athleticism of an Aussie."

Zuko shot him a smile and stepped a bit closer so he could nudge his side with an elbow.

"You're impressive too, Sokka," he teased, voice with the cadence of a teacher talking to an overly enthusiastic second grader, and Sokka shoved him away.

Zuko, the bastard, just laughed and drank his coffee.

Boomerang tossed the frisbee down in front of Sokka again and bounded back out in front, tense and bright eyed and ready to go. 

"Alright, buddy," Sokka said, waving the frisbee a little and watching Boomerang's eyes, "catch this one in the air for me! You got it! Show Zuko what you got!” 

Sokka let the frisbee go, keeping it flat and steady across the field, and Boomerang was after it immediate, head raised. About mid-field, he took a bounding leap and did, in fact, catch the frisbee mid-air. Sokka cheered, shouting encouragement as the dog circled and started back, and Zuko clapped very politely around his repositioned coffee cup.

“See? Just another reason dogs are better than cats,” Sokka offered.

“Not a chance,” Zuko replied, “because if we both had cats, we’d be warm and inside right now.”

Boomerang's ears happily bounced as he parade-trotted back toward the pair and tossed the frisbee down in front of Zuko this time.

"Um, wrong guy, Boomerang," Zuko said, staring down at the eager dog.

"Sorry, puppo," Sokka said, picking up the frisbee himself, "he doesn't love you like I do."

Zuko chuckled as Sokka let the frisbee sail again, and they chatted a little about the shelter Sokka had gotten Boomerang from and how much training he'd had, how often they came out to run like this, and the continued merits of cats versus dogs. Of course, there were still occasional pauses for Zuko to bitch about the cold if the wind picked up again, but Sokka just laughed at him and kept throwing. Boomerang continued to run, sometimes barking, always eager, a blur of brown and white through the field. He did increasingly insist that it was Zuko's turn to throw as he came back, tongue lolling. He even went as far as dropping the frisbee and then nosing it directly onto Zuko's foot before staring up at him with untempered devotion.

"Barking up the wrong tree, bud," Zuko said, nudging the frisbee off his shoe.

"Aww, come on," Sokka said, grinning and picking up the frisbee before circling around behind Zuko, "give it a try."

Zuko sighed but shifted the coffee cup to his nondominant hand and accepted the offered frisbee and Sokka's hand around his own.

“This is getting a little rom-com for me,” Zuko said, shooting him a look over his shoulder, but Sokka just chuckled and wrapped himself against Zuko’s back a little tighter.

"Ok, so just reel it back," Sokka said, twisting their bodies together to the left, "then let it go right at the end with a little," he tugged on Zuko's hand to demonstrate, "flick of the wrist to send it flying."

"Hmm," Zuko said, snuggling back into Sokka's chest, "I'm still confused. Show me again?"

Sokka chuckled and kissed his cold cheek before moving through the motion again. 

Zuko chuckled. "Nope, still not sure. One more time?"

"You're just using me for my body heat, aren’t you?" Sokka muttered, wrapping his other arm around Zuko's middle.

"No, I'm just really stupid and need you to keep showing me how to do a mostly self-explanatory task."

Sokka laughed. "So I'm just a travel heating pad for you?"

"Not _just_ a travel heating pad," Zuko replied, pulling Sokka's arm tighter around him. "You're also the guy with the worst jokes ever."

"My jokes are _great_ ," Sokka protested, but didn't unwrap himself from Zuko's back.

Boomerang barked at them, a little shrill and very demanding.

"We're pissing off the dog," Sokka pointed out.

"Eh, he'll be fine," Zuko argued, just as Boomerang barked again and jumped once from side to side. 

Sokka stepped back again. "Throw the frisbee and I'll come cuddle my sweet, fragile boyfriend again."

"Even frozen, I can still kick your ass," Zuko replied, but he did wind up with the frisbee and let it go.

It flew wide, much higher than necessary, and was immediately caught by the wind and thrown left. Directly toward the river and the trees, with Boomerang still eagerly after it. 

“Wait, no--” Sokka shouted, at the same time Zuko yelled, “Shit! Come back!”

The frisbee hurtled into the trees and a moment later, Boomerang took a flying leap through the brush at the treeline and was gone within, completely ignoring the two shouting men still mid field. They exchanged one look and then took off running toward the trees.

“Boomerang!” Sokka yelled even as he ran. “Come on, buddy! Come back!”

There was no answer from the dog, though, who was probably deep into the trees and possibly the river after the frisbee with no actual concern for his well-being and safety. Just full frisbee-brain, which was normally fine, but right now was a problem.

“God, Sokka, I’m sorry,” Zuko said beside him as they pulled up beside the bit of forest, which was a wild thicket of trees that sloped down to the riverbank unseen from their vantage point.

“No, it’s fine,” Sokka said. “He’ll come back.”

But after another minute or so of yelling his name and whistling, with even Zuko adding his voice to the noise, there was still no sign of the dog.

“Ok, I’ll go find him,” Zuko said, passing his empty coffee cup over to Sokka.

“What? No, he’s _my_ dog and--”

“And you should stay here in case he comes out, but this is _my_ fault for throwing the frisbee like a drunk shot-putter,” Zuko insisted. “I’ll go find him.”

Before Sokka could protest again, he'd already shoved through the brush and stepped over a fallen log, swearing a little as he went.

"I could come too, you know!" Sokka called to the vague shape of him and the red of his scarf, which soon disappeared as he must have started down the incline toward the river.

"No, because if I get lost or break my leg in here looking for your damn dog," Zuko's disembodied voice yelled back, "someone's gotta call the park ranger or something."

"Park ranger?" Sokka repeated incredulously. "Where do you think we are right now?"

There was the crackle of snapping branches and a muffled curse, but no response otherwise.

"You still alive?" Sokka yelled into the shadows and snarls of brush.

More clattering and swearing. "Yes! How would I have died already?"

"Well, you don't exactly sound super confident in there."

"I'm--" a thud and a snapped branch, "I'm fine! Shut up!" More rustling of dry branches and leaves, although nothing moved at the edge of the forest where Sokka was. "Boomerang! Go back to your person!"

"Do you see him?" Sokka called, and then whistled a few times just in case, but still no sight or sound of Boomerang.

"No," came Zuko's irritated timbre. "Just stupid mud and nature and cold! Why the hell do people live here?"

"Yes, colonizer, I heard you the first time," Sokka replied.

"I'm not white enough to be a colonizer!"

"It's the mindset!"

Another snap and rustle and a muffled "oof" followed by a low string of swearing from within, interspersed with Boomerang's name.

"You ok?" Sokka called. 

No answer except more disrupted forest sounds.

"Should I come in there?" Sokka yelled and then listened for a response, although it ended up just being more rustling, getting more distant this time. "Zuko, you're too much of a recovering rich kid for this! You're too soft and privileged!"

"I am not--" Zuko protested sharply as a branch cracked, voice a bit far away now, "I haven’t been rich since I was a little kid, so leave me alone--damn it, nature!” Another rustle and crack from within. “I'm just trying--god damn it!"

More shuffling and swearing and skidding sound followed by another thud, and Sokka began to wonder if he actually _would_ have to call someone to rescue his dog _and_ his stupid boyfriend from a forest at the park.

Who do you even call for that?

He shifted from foot to foot and intermixed shouting for Boomerang and shouting for Zuko, feeling ridiculous as he did so, but neither was responding to him now. In fact, the forest had gone weirdly quiet.

“Ok, someone make some sort of noise!” Sokka yelled. “Dog? Boyfriend? Someone?” 

He listened a moment, but still nothing. Maybe a few leaves shaking, but he couldn’t tell if that was just the wind or actually his lost people. 

“Did you run off together and leave me?” he called. “Did you both get abducted? Was it aliens or serial killers? Or ghosts? Can ghosts get you during the day? Do I call Buzzfeed Unsolved? Or the fire department?”

A bit more rustling, maybe a bit closer, but still no voices.

“Zuko? Boomerang?” Sokka asked. “Ghosts or aliens or serial killers? If you haven’t already, leave the hot Asian guy and the dog alone, ok?”

More sticks snapping and rustling, this time definitely from something that wasn’t just the wind. Sokka smiled.

“Marco?” Sokka asked. 

“Polo,” came Zuko’s answered voice from nearer this time.

Then there was more running and skittering through the leaves, and finally Boomerang came bursting into view through the brush. His legs were muddy and there were definitely some burrs in his ears, but he was smiling triumphantly around the frisbee as he ran back toward Sokka.

“Boomerang!” Sokka yelled, crouching down as the dog jumped the last logs and crashed against his knees. "You _do_ always come back!”

And there was Zuko’s low laughter as he emerged as well, a stick in his hair and mud smeared all down his shins and over his shoes.

“You think you’re so funny,” he said, shaking his head and pulling his leg the rest of the way out of a clump of dry weeds.

Sokka smiled up at him, still petting Boomerang’s head and avoiding the lash of his wildly wagging tail, which was flinging mud back and forth.

“The frisbee was stuck in a tree right by the river,” Zuko supplied, reaching up and managing to pull the stick out of his hair, “and your damn dog wasn’t leaving without it, so I had to get it out.” He attempted to shake some of the mud off his shoes, grumbling under his breath. “And _of course_ , it was in a stupid mud slog…”

Sokka straightened again and pulled Zuko into a tight hug, startling a grunt out of him.

“Thanks for getting my dog back,” Sokka said with absolute sincerity, unconcerned by the leaves and dirt probably getting on his jacket too, or the somewhat stiff way Zuko hugged him back.

“Yeah, well,” Zuko said, sounding surprised and flustered, “it was my fault, so--well...”

“Still. It was incredibly sweet of you,” Sokka said, pulling back and beaming at him, and Zuko definitely flushed a little bit and looked away.

“Well, you just better be worth all the effort,” he muttered under his breath, and Sokka just laughed and kissed his cheek again.

Then he looked back down at Boomerang, who was still watching the pair of them with a smile around the frisbee and a continually wagging tail.

“You’re both a mess,” Sokka pronounced, looking between the muddy dog and the muddy boyfriend. “Is it bad if I just throw you into the same bathtub to get the dirt and forest off?”

“Don’t you dare,” Zuko said, jabbing him in the chest with a cold finger. 

Sokka caught his hands and held them between both of his to warm them, rubbing his hands back and forth over them.

“Fine,” he said with a smirk, “what if Boomerang gets his own bath and you share one with me?”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I could be persuaded to do that.”

“‘Persuaded’,” Sokka teased, taking his hand and starting back toward where he’d left the leash and their other stuff on the ground. “Then let’s head back, huh?”

Boomerang trotted happily off ahead of them, occasionally turning back to make sure they were still following, which of course they were, Zuko using their linked hands to pull himself further into Sokka’s side. And Sokka, of course, let him.

“So it if really had come down to either me or Boomerang in that forest,” Zuko asked as they gathered their stuff and headed back out of the park, the dog leashed once again, “who were you gonna save?”

“Boomerang,” Sokka said immediately, and Zuko chuckled.

“Obviously,” he said, shaking his head.

“Sorry, buddy,” Sokka said, glancing his way with a grin. “That dog’s basically my child.”

“Nah, I get it,” Zuko replied, smiling back a little. “I guess I’ll just have to be more of a boomerang to move higher in the Sokka rankings.”

"What, furry and adopted and obsessed with squirrels?"

Zuko laughed harder, and god, Sokka could listen to him laugh forever and not get sick of it. He wasn't sure how that was possible, but it was.

"I more meant," Zuko teased, weaving their fingers together together, "what if I _also_ always came back to you, no matter how far away I went?"

Sokka shot him a look, something swelling in his chest, but what came out of his mouth was, “Aw, babe… you’re such a _dork_.”

“Yeah, well,” Zuko replied, only looking slightly embarrassed by his cheesy admission, “I blame you for any dorkiness. I used to be a mature adult before I met you.”

Sokka snorted. “You absolutely were not, you sleep deprived trainwreck.”

“Well, you made me much worse,” Zuko said, giving him a warm look that Sokka couldn’t keep from returning. “Now I’m all, you know, dumb and disorganized and happy and shit.”’

Sokka used their linked hands to shift and loop his arm around Zuko’s neck instead. “Yeah,” he replied, “me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I've got one more little fluffy established relationship story before we start getting into the heavier, more plot-driven story. Hopefully you're not bored with these little snapshots of their relationship!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you're still enjoying this series! Comments, kudos, etc. are always so appreciated, and you're always welcome to come talk to me more on my academic nerd tumblr: onmyliteraturebullshitagain


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